A Televisual Feast

The airing hijinks have left me suspect. This episode opens with ‘previously on’ references to both (production order) first season and second season episodes and I can’t figure out if Kelley wrote knowing the airing order or not. I’m not sure it matters, since most of the references have to do with dating between members of Bobby’s firm and the DA office, as while as DA office rivalries. Do they matter to the episode? Sort of. Not really. Kelley’s trying to fill time mostly.

The main case is a Kelley classic: expecting mother refuses to have a c-section, ignoring husband’s wishes and doctor’s advice, husband sues. Unfortunately Kelley goes for sensational scenes rather than interesting ones and the whole thing ends on an eye-rolling note. (Especially having just watched Gone Baby Gone). It gives everyone in the cast except Lindsay something to do, because she’s busy being upset about defending drug dealers (even if they are funny guys).

This episode, being second season (production order), features the return of Lara Flynn Boyle, whose character’s name I forgot, which sort of testifies to how memorable she is at this point. Besides her being a Republican and wearing a pound of concealer, I don’t know anything about the character. All Kelley gives Bobby to do this episode is start dating Lara Flynn Boyle. It’s an exceptional waste of the character, but it seems like the episode has very little do to with lawyering and a lot to do with being amusing and shocking. Bobby seems a subject, not a protagonist. It’s competent and fine, but it’s a tad distressing.

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